The present invention relates to a kerosene heater in which combustion is effected by means of a wick, and in which adjustment of the rate of combustion of the heater, as well as operations for igniting and extinguishing the wick, are executed by moving the wick upward or downward.
FIG. 1 shows the basic configuration of a prior art kerosene heater of this type. A manually operable lever 4a is coupled to a wick 4 by means of a pin 4c. Upward and downward movement of the lever 4a by the user thereby produces corresponding lowering and raising of the wick 4. Numeral 4b denotes a pivot about which the lever 4a is rotated, 1 denotes a fuel tank containing kerosene into which extends the lower end of the wick 4, 2 denotes a wick guidance pipe, 3 denotes a wick outer pipe, and 5 denotes a combustion pipe. With a prior art kerosene heater having the above configuration, if the wick 4 is raised to an upper position which is suitable for initiating igniting of the wick, is ignited, and is thereafter left in that upper position, then the flame produced from the wick will gradually increase in size and may eventually extend to the upper end of the combustion tube 5, i.e. may flare up excessively. It is therefore necessary for the user, after having initiated lighting of the wick, to thereafter observe the condition of the wick during a certain amount of time until the wick is fully ignited (i.e. until a flame extends around the entire periphery of the upper end of the wick). The user must then actuate the lever 4a to lower the wick by an appropriate amount, to thereby reduce the rate of combustion to a suitable level for continuous operation of the heater.
The necessity for thus observing and controlling the heater after ignition has been initiated renders the use of such a prior art kerosene heater rather inconvenient. Furthermore if the wick is left at the upper position (i.e. the upper position at which ignition of the wick can be executed) after lighting has been performed, then even if the wick flame does not flare up excessively, the rate of combustion will generally be such that the temperature in the room in which the kerosene heater is being used may thereafter become excessively high, making it necessary for the user in any case to actuate the lever 4a to reduce the combustion rate. The overall level of fuel consumption of such a kerosene heater will therefore be unnecessarily high, unless the user carefully controls the operation of igniting the wick.
For the above reasons, a prior art type of kerosene heater utilizing a wick is inconvenient to use, must be carefully operated to ensure safety during lighting of the wick, and may have excessively high fuel consumption during the wick igniting process.